"I'm so glad you managed to get some time off.you really needed this
holiday." Lisa Walton said, smiling down at her boyfriend, Jacob Ryan, who
was sitting on a chair in the backyard of her Annandale home.

Jake made a face. "Holiday! I'm going crazy. I need something to do!"

"Have you thought about knitting?" Lisa asked, leaning her chin on his
head.

"Smartarse. So, what's going on at work?"

"You mean are we coping without you? We're fine Jake, and besides didn't
the doctor tell you to forget all about work for awhile?"

He sighed, and reached up to take her hand. "Can I help it if I love my
job?"

"Hmm.well I'm going to order pizza for tea.extra supreme right?"

"Right. And nice change of subject by the way."

"Thanks, I learnt from an expert!" She smiled affectionately at him, and
went inside.

He leant back in his chair and closed his eyes. It sure had been a rough
few months since he'd joined the homicide squad after uni. First he'd had a
case that summer involving a teenage girl who thought she was a vampire and
murdered another two girls, and then he'd had a case involving a young man
who hypnotized a fellow student into killing people for him. Then there was
the case that had "earnt" him his holiday- in solving a double murder case
he had also broken open a prostitution ring. However in the process he had
gotten himself shot, and was now on leave. Still, it hadn't been all bad.
Lisa had been assigned to him, and while they hadn't gotten along at first,
they'd fallen in love. He smiled to himself.

A few minutes later Lisa came out, and she saw her boyfriend fast asleep
in the warm winter sun. Figuring he needed his rest she didn't wake him. "So, what do you think?" Jake finished outlining his plan for a week away
down the coast, which would coincide with a conference Lisa was due at in
Canberra.

"Instead of spending time at places down the coast why don't we spend the
whole time in Canberra? It'll be less tiring on you- and I haven't been
there in years." Lisa suggested. They were sitting at the kitchen table in
Jake's apartment in Paddington, looking at road maps.

"You don't need to worry about me! I'm fine now!" Jake complained, but
Lisa didn't bother taking any notice. If there was one thing she knew about
Jake it was that he didn't like to be seen as weak!

"Well, think about me then.I would rather spend the week looking around
Canberra. We can go to the War memorial, and the High Court, and Parliament
House, and the Te-"

"Alright, alright. Geez, you sound like a walking, talking guidebook!" But
he was smiling as he said it. "Canberra it is!""I told Brian we might stop in and say hello, but if you don't want to."
Jake said, as they neared Nowra.

"I don't mind if you want to. Actually I would like to meet the famous
Brian!" Lisa replied.

Brian Hemming had been Jake's partner on the first case, and at first the
new school cop and the old school cop had not gotten along, however along
the way they had come to admire each other. And in fact Brian was the one
who supplied the information which lead to Jake cracking the second case!

"He's a grumpy old bastard!" Jake warned, with a grin, as he parked the
car.

"Ryan! How you going with sick leave?" Brian greeted him from the flower
bed, as he walked up the front path with Lisa holding his hand.

"Not bad." Jake said.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Try a bear with a sore head!" She corrected, and
Brian laughed.

"That's more like the Ryan I know! Come in; come have a nice warm drink
with the missus!" He invited, pulling his gardening gloves off.

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